One of the great advantages of an iPhone is that many of its models are dual-SIM enabled, so you can have two lines connected to your phone. However, with this feature comes some disadvantages and bugs that might take some working through before you can make the most of it.
A bug that dual-SIM enabled iPhones often encounter is seeing ‘Last Line No Longer Available’ when making a call. Fortunately, there are a few ways to fix it, and they’re all easy to do from home, so you can follow the steps and then try to make the call again.
Let’s take a closer look at this common iPhone glitch, as well as what you can do to get rid of it and make calls again.
What Does ‘Last Line No Longer Available’ Mean on iPhone?
You might see the error ‘Last Line No Longer Available’ when trying to make a call on your iPhone.
This only ever happens in dual-SIM enabled iPhones and has been reported since iOS 12—though there’s been an uptick in reports recently.
It happens when the phone gets confused about where it should be making the call from.
For example, if you have two SIMs on your iPhone—a physical and an eSIM—the phone might not be sure where to make the call from. It’s a network issue, so cancel the call and work through the available fixes before trying again.
How Do You Remove the ‘Last Line No Longer Available’ on iPhone?
When you see this glitch on your iPhone, sometimes canceling the call and then trying again is enough to fix it. However, if that doesn’t work, you can follow these steps.
Turn Airplane Mode On and Off
Airplane mode is a great, quick way to reset any network issues without having to wait for the phone to turn on and off. There are two ways to access it:
- By swiping down from the top right corner of your phone and hitting the airplane.
- By going into Settings and then toggling Airplane Mode.
Turn it on, wait for a second, and then turn it back off. Your phone should reconnect to the network, which might solve your issue.
Restart the Phone
If this doesn’t work, you can also force the phone to restart to truly let it reset.
- Hold the Side button and the Power Up button.
- Then slide the top bar to power off.
- Let the phone sit for a few seconds before turning it back on and waiting for it to start back up.
This often fixes all manner of glitches, including network issues.
Holding down the Side and Volume Up buttons for ten seconds will perform a hard reset. You’ll know this is happening because you’ll see the Apple logo, and it’s often even more effective.
Update Your Phone
Apple is constantly pushing through software updates to fix bugs that may have popped up with their phones. Although many users turn off automatic updates for the sake of convenience and not being interrupted, it’s generally a good idea to keep these turned on.
If you haven’t been keeping on top of updates, they’re easy to find:
- Go to Settings.
- Go to General.
- Go to About.
- Go to Software Update.
You’ll be able to see here if there are any available. If there are, go ahead and download and install them, which should fix any issues you’ve been having.
If you’re not in the habit of updating your phone every time there’s an update; it’s a good idea to get into it. When an update is available, Apple will even ask if you’d like them to download and install the update between 2-4 am, when most people are asleep.
Ensure you’re connected to WiFi when doing this (or have a lot of data available), as updating your phone can use a lot of data.
Update Carrier Settings
When you head into General, and About in the Settings, you may also sometimes see a notification informing you that your carrier settings need to be updated.
If you see this, let the phone update them—these come from cellular networks and could be the reason for your calling bug.
Disable WiFi Calling
Another common feature that’s been reported to have something to do with this bug is WiFi calling. This is when WiFi assists with your cellular signal to allow you to make calls, even when the cellular signal itself may not be that great.
To do this, go to:
- Settings.
- Phone.
- WiFi Calling (toggle off).
You can also access it under Mobile Data under Settings and see the same toggle available. Once you’ve done this, try to make the call again and see if it goes through—you might find that you’re successful now.
Clear Your Call Log
Although it’s purely anecdotal, some users say that clearing their call log helps them to make calls when they encounter this error. Therefore, since it only takes a second, it’s a good idea to try.
Head into your Phone app to access your call log. From there, you can tap:
- Edit (top right-hand corner of the screen).
- Clear.
- Clear All.
Before doing this, you should ensure there are no call dates and timestamps you want to keep. If there are, take a note of them or a screenshot before deleting the information. Once you’ve done this, try to make your call again.
Check Your SIM
Sometimes, network issues are rooted in the SIM card itself. Remove this from the iPhone by inserting a tiny object (a paper clip should work) into the hole in the drawer on the side of the phone. The SIM card drawer should pop out.
You can give the SIM a gentle wipe down with a microfiber cloth but should avoid putting any liquid on it (or in the drawer itself). This includes water!
Once you’ve done that, put it back and re-insert the drawer, then wait for your phone to connect again. If you’re still having issues, your SIM card may need to be replaced.
Reset Network Settings
If you’ve tried all this and nothing has worked, you can try resetting the network settings. Head into:
- Settings.
- General.
- Transfer or Reset iPhone.
- Here, you can choose Reset Network Settings.
This won’t wipe any of your content or data but will only reset settings involving the network—and since the ‘Last Line No Longer Available’ is a network glitch, it may fix that.
Reset or Restore iPhone
The last possible thing you can do is reset or restore the whole iPhone to a backup before this glitch or its factory settings.
To restore your iPhone to a backup, connect it to your computer and find the device in iTunes. From there, you will have the option to restore, though you must have been saving backups for it to locate one. Make sure you save any content you’ve acquired since the data of that backup.
If you don’t have a backup or want a fresh start, you can head into Settings, General, and Transfer or Reset iPhone just as you would to reset the network settings—except you can choose to reset the whole phone.
If you do this, make sure you back up all of your content to iCloud or your computer before continuing. This will reset absolutely everything, and when your iPhone comes back on, it will take you through the setup as if it’s brand new.
What if Nothing Works?
For most users, following these fixes to get the network settings back to normal will prevent that error from appearing and allow them to get back to making hassle-free calls. However, if that doesn’t work, you may need professional help.
You can contact Apple via their website (phone, forum, or live chat) for assistance. Apple may be able to walk you through a solution, or they may suggest sending the phone off for repair, either through the mail or by dropping it off at an Apple Store. You can also make an appointment at one of those stores for a technician to look in person.
For the most part, though, the ‘Last Line No Longer Available’ issue on iPhone is an annoying but very fixable one you can deal with on your own.